One Day
by neminy-zebra
Summary: Destiel AU Castiel Novak's world is black and white (literally), until he meets Dean Winchester. His Soulmate. Suddenly his world explodes in color and life. Pairings - Dean/Castiel and Sam/Gabriel (Cheesy description, I know, but give it a read maybe? I'm writing this fic at the request of my friend Samalander45. This is for you, buddy!) Rated M for a later chapter
1. Chapter 1

A Destiel AU

"One day someone will walk into your life and make you see colors you have never imagined…"

Castiel Novak's world was black and white. That wasn't a figure of speech, but quite literal. Everyone saw in black and white until they met the person they were meant to be with. It was called the Soulmate Principle. To people who hadn't found their Soulmates yet – people like Cas – the world was comfortable. There was surprising warmth in the colorless world.

Castiel hadn't really given much thought to his Soulmate. He thought of the moment, sure, but his thoughts were more captivated by the idea of color than the thought of meeting his lifelong partner. He tried not to get his hopes up. While the chances of meeting your Soulmate were pretty high, a number of people never did. They went on with their lives in their black and white state, content, but incomplete.

Cas had seen it happen once – the Meeting of Soulmates. It had been during Junior year of high school. There was a new girl in class. A pretty girl named Charlie Bradbury. The teacher was just barely introducing her when the classroom door opened and Emily Johnson (late as always) came running in. She ran smack into Charlie and they both tumbled to the floor. They both gasped almost simultaneously and stood up slowly. Charlie began looking around quickly, desperate to take in as much color as she could. Emily stood gazing at Charlie, eyes wide. Charlie met Emily's eyes and smiled shyly. The teacher began clapping, and soon the whole class broke into applause. For some reason that was customary when one witnessed a Meeting. Charlie and Emily have been inseparable ever since.

That was the closest he'd ever been to a Meeting. He had seen others from a distance, or heard the applause and turned to join in. Joy needed to be shared. But witnessing that Meeting in high school was something Castiel would remember forever. He had seen the change in the girls' eyes; the wonder. Color must have been an amazing thing.

Cas had graduated high school more than two years ago. He was about to start his Junior year of college, and he still hadn't found his Soulmate. It was a little worrisome.

Statistically, the age range most people found their Soulmate was between 15 and 20. There were a few who found theirs' earlier than 15 and some above 20, but once you reached 25 or so the odds of finding your Soulmate dwindled to less than 1%. Castiel was approaching his 21 birthday and would soon be out of that magical range. It scared him. Would he be one of those few who never found his Soulmate? Would he never experience color?

Castiel closed his laptop and leaned back in his chair, stretching his back. He had reached a very poignant bout of writer's block.

Cas really wanted to be a writer; more than anything. Now that his Generals were out of the way he could start work on his Major: Creative Writing. Usually he had an abundance of ideas, but nothing was coming today. He had never told anyone that he was writing a novel. He was afraid they would think it was ridiculous to write his debut novel before he had any proper schooling on the subject. Dark World would be his secret until it got published – _if _it got published.

He began shuffling things around on his desk, trying to create some semblance of order. He was a little scatter-brained and tended to be quite unorganized. He had been trying to work on that for years but was getting nowhere.

While he was shoving too many pencils and pens into a too-small pencil case, his cell phone began ringing, playing the chorus of Original Prankster. Castiel sighed. That would be his brother Gabriel.

Castiel loved Gabe, but he could be a bit much to deal with at times. Cas contemplated not answering, but gave in with a sigh.

"Hey, Gabe," he answered, trying to make his voice sound light and chipper. "What's up?"

A half shouted string of jumbled words came through the phone in answer. Cas pulled the phone away from his ear quickly, lest his hearing be permanently affected.

"Gabriel, I didn't catch any of that. One more time please?"

The answer came back at a slightly lower decibel. "It happened, Cas!"

Castel furrowed his brow in confusion. "What happened? Are you alright?"

Gabriel laughed. "I've never been better!" he exclaimed excitedly. "It happened! I met him! My Soulmate!"


	2. Chapter 2

"His name is Sam. He's really tall," Gabriel said dreamily. "And he's got really shaggy hair, and the most amazing eyes, and he's just….just….perfect!" he finished in an incoherent rush.

Castiel smiled. "I can't wait to meet him," he said. And it was true. Gabriel wasn't known for being a "soft" person, but after his Meeting, that had changed. Sam must have been an amazing person. "I just have one question," he said matter-of-factly.

Gabe looked at him questioningly. "What?" he asked.

"Why am I meeting him now, rather than at the Merge?" He was genuinely curious about this. It was customary for the families of the Soulmates to meet at the same time – the Merge. So when Gabe called Cas and asked him to meet Sam the day before the Merge, it was extremely confusing.

Gabriel shifted uncomfortably. "Well, I never thought it would happen, you know? I'm 24. Chances were I was never going to meet the one. But, then I did. Everything changed in an instant. I suddenly didn't have to be alone for the rest of my life, and it was amazing. And I wanted to share it. I _needed_ to share it – the fact that I amounted to something; that I am worthy of love," he trailed off thoughtfully. "And who better to share it with then my favorite brother?" He mock punched Castiel in the shoulder.

Cas smiled. "I am so telling Michael and Lucifer you said that," he joked. He didn't say anything else. He would have affirmed that Gabe was worthy of love, but he didn't for two reasons. First, it would have sounded weird coming from him, and second, meeting Sam had already affirmed that far more fully than anything Cas could have said at that moment.

The doorbell to Gabriel's small flat rang. Gabe stood up and nervously wiped his palms on his pants. "Well, he's here, he said shakily, looking at Castiel for support.

Cas nodded and smiled, and Gabe walked slowly to the door. He paused to take a deep breath before opening it. A _very_ tall boy about Castiel's age walked in. He and Gabe shared a shy smile and a tentative hug. The height difference was quite comical and Castiel had to force himself to keep from laughing. All-in-all though, they were a very handsome couple.

Gabriel motioned for Sam to come into the living room, and Castiel stood and offered his hand. "You must be Sam. I'm Castiel Novak. Gabriel's brother."

Sam smiled and took his outstretched hand. "Sam Winchester," he responded good-naturedly.

There was a moment of silence before Gabriel spoke up. "So, do you want to plan the Merge, Sam?" he asked hesitantly.

Sam breathed out a laugh and smiled. "That sounds great," he said.

Castiel knew that planning the Merge was not something he should be privy to, so he decided to excuse himself. "Well, I have to work at 7:00, so I have to go get ready," he lied.

Gabe nodded and sat on the couch. Sam joined him, and they just sat in silence, staring at each other. Cas shook his head and left the apartment. He had known a few Soulmate couples. For some reason, staring at each other was a favorite pastime, which confused Cas. Wouldn't their face get boring after a while? Why would you want to just look at each other? It seemed pretty pointless to him.

There was a bitter feeling in his chest that was slowly progressing to his stomach. Was he sick? It didn't feel like he was sick though. Castiel walked home, the whole time puzzling over the strange feeling.

He arrived back at his humble apartment and sat down to write some more of Dark World. After staring at the computer screen for almost an hour with no ideas coming, and the bitter feeling still prevalent, he decided to take a shower.

The shower did little to take away the feeling and he lay down for bed, uneasy. Was he…he couldn't really be….was he jealous of Gabriel?

He rolled over onto his side and closed his eyes. He wasn't attracted to Sam. Sure, he was handsome, but Cas knew he didn't envy his brother Sam. So, what then?

It hit him then. He didn't envy his brother's Soulmate. He envied that fact that his brother _had _a Soulmate.

Cas fell asleep uneasily.


	3. Chapter 3

Castiel rolled out of bed earlier than he would have liked. He had tossed and turned all night and had loathed the thought of getting out of bed with so little sleep. Grumbling to himself about how cruel the world was, he stumbled to the kitchen to make some coffee. While he was waiting for the coffee to finish, he stared out the small kitchen window, lost in thought about the upcoming day.

It was sure to be a long day. He had been to two Merge's in his life – Michael's and Lucifer's – and both events were extremely long and boring. Of course, he had been ten at Michael's and eleven at Lucifer's, so maybe it wouldn't be so bad. Both Michael and Lucifer had met their Soulmates in their late teens. Not unusual. So when Gabriel turned 20 and still hadn't met his Soulmate, their parents were a little concerned. As the years went by, their concern only increased. None of them would ever dare tell Gabe this, but they all thought he would never find his Soulmate. Now that he had, though, his parents were bound to turn their concern on Cas, who was 20 and quite without a Soulmate.

Cas pored himself a cup of coffee and sat at the table, basking in the wonderful silence. A few seconds later his phone rang, playing Highway to Hell. That would be Lucifer. Castiel sighed. It looked like his few minutes of silence were over. He put his coffee mug down and answered the phone.

Cas pulled up in front of The Gathering Place. He was way earlier than he needed to be, but Gabe had called him, desperate for help decorating. The Gathering Place was literally just that; a place to gather. There were several places like it in town, though most had more creative names. People could rent these places with short notice. Most people used them for Merge's, though they could be rented for countless other events as well, like birthday parties or wedding receptions.

Castiel took a deep breath before exiting his car and walking up the sidewalk to The Gathering Place. He was happy for Gabe, he really was. His brother's happiness meant the world to him. But jealousy was still eating at him, as irrational as it was. He would suppress it as much as he could though. He didn't want to sour Gabriel's day.

He opened the glass doors and was confronted by an almost comical sight. Gabriel was running around frantically, trying to see what needed to be done next while Sam was laughing and hanging up streamers. The kid didn't even need a ladder. He must have been 6'3" or 6'4". It was humorous seeing him stand next to Gabriel, who was only 5'8".

Cas cleared his throat to announce his presence, and two heads swiveled to look at him. Gabriel let out a relieved sigh. "Thank God you are here, Cas. I swear, I have never been so freaked out in my life!" he pulled a Twix bar out of his pocket and unwrapped it. Gabriel had a serious sweet tooth, and it was even worse when he was nervous.

Sam laughed. "My family really isn't _that_ bad, Gabe," he said. "It's only my parents and my brother. Not like your family. How many people were coming again? Nine? Ten? I think I have more reason to be nervous."

"Yeah, but you're freakishly close to perfect!" Gabriel said, exasperatedly. "Plus, I'm the third in my family. You're the first, so your parents are probably going to hold me to an extremely high standard that I can't possibly meet!" He paused to take a breath, and pulled out and ate a Butterfinger.

"They're going to love you," Sam interjected. "I promise." He paused and thought for a second. "My brother may hold you in some contempt, but it will only be out of jealousy. He would never act rude in public though. He's not that immature."

Cas froze for a second. "Why would your brother be jealous?" he asked. Maybe it wasn't uncommon to feel jealousy toward siblings about Soulmates.

Sam shifted, uncomfortably. "Yeah, well, we don't like to talk about it…it's just…he's 26, and hasn't met his Soulmate. I mean, wouldn't you feel bitter?" Sam asked.

Castiel was shocked. He mentally kicked himself. What right did he have being jealous when he wasn't even 21 yet? He felt really bad for Sam's brother. Maybe he'd befriend him tonight. Who knew?

He shrugged in answer to Sam's question. "I guess. I have never really thought about it," he lied. There was an awkward silence before Castiel clapped his hands. "So, what can I do to help?"

Everyone thawed and they set back to work.

They finished decorating a little less than ten minutes before the guests were scheduled to show up. Castiel took inventory of the room. They didn't do too shabby at all.

Gabriel went into the back room to get his composure back. Castiel knew he was extremely nervous. Even more so than he said he was. Sam watched him leave, his brow furrowed. He stood up as if to follow after him, and then turned back to Cas. "Thank you for helping us, Castiel," he said. "I know it was very unconventional to ask, but Gabe was freaking out." He smiled fondly, finding Gabriel's antics endearing.

"It was no problem," Castiel answered. And he meant it. He had been skeptical about helping at first, but now he was glad he had. Learning about Sam's brother had all but erased any lingering jealousy, and it would actually be a fun celebration.

Sam extended his thanks again, and then proceeded to the back room to get Gabriel.

At that moment several cars pulled up in front of The Gathering Place. Castiel studied all of the cars. He recognized all of them but one – a simple Honda. That must have belonged to Sam's family.

Castiel turned away from the window and saw that Gabe and Sam had emerged from the back. Gabe winced when he heard the car doors slam shut and Sam reached for his hand and squeezed it encouragingly. "It'll be fine," he said.

Gabriel took a deep breath and nodded.

Castiel sat at his designated seat at the table. He looked at the place cards on the plates by him. He was sitting in between Michael and someone named Dean. That must have been Sam's dad or brother.

Sam and Gabriel moved to stand by the door so they could greet their guests.

Gabe's parents were the first to come through the door, and his mother exclaimed excitedly when she saw them. "Oh, my! He is so tall! And handsome!" she exclaimed. She drew Sam in for a hug. "I'm Anita Novak," she said. "Gabriel's mother," she practically crooned. Gabe shifted slightly.

When Anita released Sam, Gabe's father held his hand out. "You must be Sam," he said jovially. "Chuck," he said with a smile.

Sam smiled at both of them. "It's a pleasure to meet you both," Sam said genuinely.

Gabriel's parents smiled again and moved to find their seats.

Sam was next subject to Lucifer, his wife Joan, and their two sons, Luke and Jake. They were cordial, and even Joan didn't offer more than a handshake. Gabriel kept getting more and more uncomfortable.

Next were Michael, his wife Danielle, and their daughter Jenna. Danielle was almost eight months pregnant, and you could definitely tell. Castiel felt certain she would have hugged Sam if her belly wouldn't have gotten in the way. She was just that kind of person. They were friendly and smiled as they made their way to their seats. When Michael sat down he slapped Castiel on the back. "Hey Cas!" he said happily.

Cas smiled. "Hey Mike," he answered.

Finally Sam's parents came through the door. His mother was a slight woman, though she didn't look weak. In fact, she looked like she could definitely do some damage if she had half a mind too. His father was a bit stocky, but he gave off the same vibe the mother did.

Gabriel stood up as straight as he could, trying to make a good impression. Sam's father smiled tightly, looking Gabriel up and down before offering his hand. "John Winchester," he said. His words sounded clipped.

Gabriel shrank back minutely before shaking John's hand. "Gabriel Novak," he said quietly.

John snorted. "What kind of name is Gabriel?" he asked.

Sam stiffened. "Dad," he warned.

Gabe straightened up again. "I was named after the arch angel," he said.

John snorted again. Sam's mother smacked him. "John!" she exclaimed. "Be nice!" She turned toward Gabriel. "I'm sorry, sweetheart," she said apologetically. She leaned in and hugged him. "I'm Mary Winchester. It's an absolute delight to meet you," she beamed.

Gabriel visibly relaxed. At least one of them liked him.

Mary looked around. "Where's your brother?" she asked Sam.

Sam furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "He's not with you?" he asked.

Mary shook her head. "It figures he would be running late. I just thought he would be on time to such an important event."

Castiel looked at the empty seat to his right. Dean was the brother, then.

Mary and John found their seats and Castiel's parents engaged them in conversation.

Sam and Gabriel stood at the door for a little while longer, waiting for Dean. Finally Sam decided that he just wasn't coming. He apologized profusely to Gabriel as they turned to walk to the table. Suddenly everyone heard a rumbly engine pull up in front of The Gathering Place and a car door slam.

Castiel felt his phone vibrate in his pocket and looked down just as Dean walked in. The text was from a coworker asking if Cas could take their shift. Castiel typed his reply inconspicuously under the table while still listening to the interaction.

"Sorry I'm late," a gruff voice said. The voice sent a shiver down Castiel's spine. His phone was being difficult and wasn't wanting to send his message.

"Cutting it kinda close, aren't you Dean?" Cas heard Sam ask.

"Yeah," the voice sounded sheepish. "Sorry, Sammy," he said.

Sam sighed. "It's ok. This is Gabriel," he said.

"Nice to meet you," Dean said. He sounded genuine.

Cas could hear feet shuffling and shook his phone to show his impatience. He heard someone pull the chair next to him out. Finally the message sent and he pocketed his phone.

"Texting at your own brother's Merge?" asked the gruff voice. "How low," he joked.

Castiel looked up to Dean with a witty retort on his tongue. They made eye contact and Castiel's world exploded in color.


	4. Chapter 4

AN/ I feel like this chapter is complete shit, but I read through it a million times and just do not see it getting any better. My apologies for that. I've been looking forward to Chapter five for a while, so hopefully that will be much better.

Also, I've had a couple of people ask who Emily was (who I mentioned in the first chapter), so let's clear that up too…That would be me. I unashamedly ship myself with Charlie Bradbury, so that was merely to satisfy my own narcissistic self, and nothing more.

Thank you to those who have read and followed this story. I hope I do justice by you and now that Cas and Dean have met each other, things will start to pick up ;) Thanks again and maybe leave a review if you have time? Constructive criticism is always welcome~

-N.Z.

Castiel gasped and looked around in astonishment. How had he ever been able to fool himself into contentment with the black and white world? In that moment Cas noticed a lot of things. Time didn't slow down; that would be ridiculous. But his awareness seemed to expand, and he became aware of more things at a much quicker rate. He noticed the brightness of the sun streaming through the windows, the beautiful range of colors around the room, the unconcerned faces of his family as they weren't aware of what had happened yet, the sharp intake of breath that came from Dean, and finally, Dean himself. He was startling, devastatingly beautiful. He was tall, though not quite as tall as Sam; his hair was short and tousled, but somehow neat at the same time. His jaw was firm and covered in a light stubble. His lips looked surprisingly soft, considering the gruff voice that spoke through them. And his eyes – oh God his eyes! The color took Castiel's breath away. He didn't know what he had been expecting, but he sure hadn't been expecting to get lost in their depth. He could have sworn he could see Dean's soul shining out through those perfect eyes, even if for just a moment. Castiel became aware of all of these things and more – like how the light played off of Dean's hair – in a fraction of a second, waiting for the rest of the world to catch up.

Eventually it did.

Dean looked away from Cas quickly and moved to sit down hurriedly. The only problem was he missed his chair by a couple of inches and fell to the floor, grabbing Cas's arm instinctually and taking him down with him. If the families hadn't noticed something going on with their sons before, the impact of two bodies on the floor, Cas's yelp, and Dean's string of profanities definitely got their attention.

The three children in attendance laughed, thinking it amusing. Even Lucifer and Michael let out slight chuckles, thinking nothing was amiss excepting the two being clumsy.

John did not look amused in the slightest, and Chuck was caught between amusement and concern.

Gabriel and Sam just stood there dumbfounded, not sure of what to make of their brothers' antics.

The two mothers both had very similar expressions of concern and embarrassment on their faces.

Dean collected himself as best he could and stood up, offering a hand to Castiel. "I'm…really sorry," he said, not knowing what else to say.

Cas put his hand in Dean's, noting how rough it felt, and Dean pulled him to his feet. "It's fine. I mean…" Cas trailed off, captured again by Dean's eyes.

Castiel didn't know who was first to piece together what had happened, lost in Dean as he was, but somebody started clapping tentatively. The rest of the room slowly joined in as they finally worked out the situation. If Cas was in his right mind, he would have felt the awkward tension around him, but all he could feel was overwhelming joy. The uncoordinated applause petered off into silence, everyone waiting for someone else to make the first move.

Surprisingly, that someone was Sam. He moved around the table to where Dean and Cas stood, still staring at each other. He clapped Dean on the shoulder, making him break eye contact with Cas. Dean blinked rapidly before turning to look at his little brother.

"Congratulations, man!" Sam said enthusiastically.

Dean still looked dumbfounded, as did Castiel. "What is…is this what…I mean…how…" Dean couldn't string together a complete sentence and trailed off into frustrated silence.

"Yeah," said Sam. "It's a lot to take in."

That's when Mary Winchester began to sob. She put her face in her hands and her shoulders shook with the weight of her emotions. Castiel was horrified. Was he really such a bad Soulmate for her son? Mary leaned against John, the tears continuing. "Less than 1%," she choked out. "Virtually impossible," she sobbed. She scrambled out of her chair and rushed toward Cas, wrapping him in a hug. "Thank you!" she gasped through her tears. "Oh, God thank you!"

If Cas hadn't noticed the awkward situation they had created before, he was definitely noticing it now.

Everyone was looking at him and Dean. Most had smiles on their faces, but a few seemed to be just as dumbfounded as Cas felt. He looked at each person in turn, surprised by the variety in color from person to person. His eyes finally fell upon Gabriel. He wasn't looking at Cas or Dean or even Sam. He was looking at the ground. When he finally raised his eyes to Cas, the latter was shocked to find anger there. Gabriel walked over to his seat and sat down. Nobody noticed.

Once everyone finally settled down and found their seats again, dinner was served. Everyone chattered excitedly about the unexpected turn of events. The probability of two sets of brothers finding their Soulmate in the other was so close to zero it shouldn't have even been considered possible at all. Yet, it had happened.

Castiel kept stealing glances at Dean when he thought he wasn't looking. He couldn't seem to keep his gaze away from the other man for very long.

As everyone was finishing eating, Dean leaned in close to Castiel. The proximity made the hair on Cas's arm stand on end. "At least we don't have to plan a Merge," Dean whispered quietly.

Try as he might, Cas couldn't keep himself from giggling at that, earning a grin from Dean.

A Merge was merely a formality to allow the two families to meet and learn the story of the Meeting. Obviously, the families had already met and everyone knew how Dean and Cas met, so there would be no need for that. Castiel thought he would feel sad about not having a Merge, but he didn't. He honestly didn't care.

With full stomachs and empty plates, the conversations came to a slow end. Everyone waited in expectant silence. It was time for the story of Sam and Gabriel's Meeting. Gabriel, who hadn't spoken for most of dinner, perked up and looked at Sam. Sam smiled back, reached for Sam's hand under the table, and began the story.

"I usually make my own coffee because it's cheaper," he began. "But for some reason on Wednesday, I was just really craving something from Starbucks. So I gave into this weird desire. The wait in line was long, but uneventful. When I got to the front of the line I ordered a French Vanilla Cappuccino…"

"Piping hot, might I add," interjected Gabriel.

Sam laughed. "Yeah. Extremely hot. I couldn't even take a sip of it yet." Sam smile widened. "Do you wanna take over?" he asked Gabriel.

Gabe sighed dramatically. "So get this," he started. "I'm running late for my shift at Starbucks…" Everyone began laughing, seeing where this was going. "I get out of my car and run inside as I'm tying my dorky apron on, and I run smack dab into this large moose, effectively spilling his piping hot coffee all over me," Gabe smiled fondly.

"I didn't even know such curse words existed," Sam said good-naturedly.

"When I had finished screaming in pure agony, I looked up – and up and up – ready to give him a piece of my mind and…" Gabriel trailed off not sure how to finish.

"Needless to say, we were surprised," Sam finished, looking adoringly at Gabriel.

The laughter of the small audience dissolved into applause, and the two storytellers grinned.

With the Merge being officially over, people began to disperse. Michael and Lucifer disappeared almost immediately with their families, after extending final congratulations to both of their brothers.

Anita and Chuck left not too long after that, demanding that they get together again soon.

The Winchester parents were surprisingly the last to leave. Mary wrapped Castiel in another grateful hug before leaving. Gabriel looked back at the floor.

"It was wonderful meeting you two!" Mary called before John escorted her out of The Gathering Place.

Everyone was gone except for the two sets of brothers. There were a few beats of awkward silence before Sam moved to start taking down decorations nonchalantly. Gabriel followed suit, avoiding eye contact with Castiel.

Cas furrowed his eyebrows. He decided it would be best to put himself to work. "Where would you like me to put the china?" he asked.

Gabriel didn't turn around. "You can just go home, Castiel. We've got this."

Cas was confused. "I helped set it up. I don't mind staying and helpi…"

"JUST GO HOME, CAS!" Gabe yelled.

Castiel staggered backward, caught off guard by the vehement in Gabe's voice. Sam even looked taken aback. Cas stood there for a few more seconds before walking slowly out the door. Dean followed him.

"Is he always like that?" Dean asked confused.

"Actually, no," answered Castiel. "He may have his moments, but he's always very nice and respectful," Cas explained, equally confused.

"So," Dean said awkwardly, hoping to diffuse the tension. "Crazy day, huh?"

Castiel snorted. "I believe that is an understatement," he replied.

Dean stared at the ground, kicking his foot. "I guess we never really introduced ourselves," he said. "I'm Dean Winchester and I'm an Aquarius," he joked.

Castiel giggled. "I'm Castiel Novak," he said, playing along. "I'm a Leo."

Dean smiled almost shyly. "So…" he said.

"So…" was Cas's answer.

"I guess…maybe we should…exchange numbers?" Dean offered.

Castiel nodded slightly. He may not have played out many scenarios in his head, but he certainly underestimated how awkward the first Meeting would be. Why couldn't he think of anything to say? Why did he feel so embarrassed? Dean was his other half; he should have felt as comfortable around him as he did himself.

After exchanging numbers, Dean got into his Impala with an enigmatic, "I'll be in touch," and drove away.

Castiel was exhausted and just wanted this day to be over with.

He got in his car and drove back to his apartment, almost getting lost on the way (what a difference color made!).

He took a very long shower, hoping the warm water would erase his stress. He stayed in the shower until the water turned cold. He put on some sweats and a t-shirt and called Gabriel. The phone rang twice, then went to his voicemail. Cas hung up without leaving a message. If Gabe hadn't heard the phone ring it would have rung through more times. If his phone was off or out of service it wouldn't have rung at all. Gabe was ignoring him. The thought made Castiel frown.

He lay down on his bed, not even bothering with pretending to try and write. His text message tone chimed and he picked it up, thinking it was Gabe. It wasn't. It was Dean. Cas's stomach clenched as he thought of his Soulmate and his captivating eyes. The text was short and simple: _Dinner or movie?_

Castiel could only assume Dean was asking him on a date. What other scenario would offer those two choices? He thought about it. If they went to a movie, they couldn't really talk and get to know each other, but there was guaranteed to be no awkward silences. If they went to dinner they could talk to each other, but Cas felt certain that it would be very awkward. Considering how awkward this day had been, Cas thought he would have felt drawn toward the movie, but he wasn't.

_Dinner_ he responded.

Dean's reply was almost instant: _I'll pick you up at 7:00 tomorrow night_.

Castiel closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He had so much on his mind. It was too much to sort through. He had met his Soulmate and his family, Gabe was mad at him for some reason, and he had a date with Dean tomorrow. He should have felt happy about Dean or worried or confused about Gabriel, but he just felt exhausted.

He texted Dean his address and quickly fell into an empty sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

AN/ Thank you to everyone who has followed and favored this story! It gives me the confidence I need to keep writing. As a thank you, here is a nice long chapter for all of you sweet potatoes! Thanks again!

N.Z.

The alarm clock went off at the ungodly hour of 6:30. Castiel groaned and pulled his pillow over his face, hoping he could ignore it. He had the morning shift at the diner and had to be there in an hour.

Finally giving into his fate, Cas sat up, rubbed his eyes, and turned on his bedside lamp. As the world came to light his breath stopped. He hadn't forgotten about color; just how magnificent it was. He slid out of bed and wandered his apartment, taking in how different everything was now.

He was amazed to discover that there was an almost endless combination of colors in just his apartment alone. There were also colors that were very similar to each other, but a couple of shades off. He had never expected color to be such a complex thing.

He arrived at the Angel's Landing diner five minutes before his shift started. Castiel was technically a barista, since he worked behind the bar, but he might as well have been a waiter, because most of his job responsibilities involved taking orders and serving food to people who chose to sit at the bar.

He only had a short shift today and would be able to leave by noon.

About half an hour before Cas's shift ended, the door to the diner opened and Sam walked in. He was on the phone, but smiled and nodded at Cas before sitting down at the bar.

The diner was relatively small, and, try as he might not too, Cas couldn't help overhearing Sam's conversation.

"What time do you get off work?" he asked.

Castiel refilled a customer's coffee. He had a sneaking suspicion that Sam was talking to Gabriel.

"Looks like we'll just miss each other, then," he responded to whoever he was talking to. "My shift starts in a half hour. We'll have to get together tomorrow." Sam listened to the response, then smiled slightly. "True," he said. "Okay. I'll call you when I get off work, Gabe," He hung up the phone and rubbed his eyes.

With his suspicions confirmed, Castiel walked over to Sam with a smile. "Hello, Sam," he said, holding up the coffee pot as a question.

Sam nodded to the coffee, and Cas poured him a mug.

"Hey, Castiel," he said a little wearily.

Castiel furrowed his brow at Sam's tone. "Are you alright, Sam?" he asked, hoping he wasn't overstepping his bounds. He had only met him two days ago after all.

Sam sighed. "Gabe's been having a bad day. He won't talk to me about it. I know I only met him four days ago, but I already feel like I know him, ya know? And I just wish he would talk to me," he sighed again. "I don't like it when he's upset. It makes me upset," he finished.

Castiel felt a knot grow in his stomach. He was sure that Gabriel was still upset with him, even if he wasn't entirely sure why.

Sam finished his coffee and put some cash on the counter before standing up. "I'll see you around, Castiel," he said, and just like that, he was gone.

Cas sighed and looked at the clock on the far wall. He had five minutes left of his shift. It would take him about that long to cash out, so he made his way to the cash register. As he cashed out, he thought about Gabriel. Why was his brother so mad at him? They had their fights from time to time, but this felt different; more personal. And he needed to get to the bottom of it.

He clocked out and made his way to his car. When he was situated, he pulled his phone out and called Gabe again. It rang once then went to voicemail. He was still ignoring him. Cas made up his mind and drove down main street to Gabe's flat. The latter's car was in the driveway, so he knew he was home.

Castiel bounded up the stairs and knocked. A few seconds passed by before Gabriel answered the door. His face was friendly and inquisitive until he caught sight of Cas. His expression hardened slightly and he moved to shut the door. Cas caught the door with his arm. "Gabriel, what the hell is going on?" he asked.

Gabriel exhaled a frustrated breath. "I don't want to talk to you right now, Castiel," he warned.

"I gathered that when you ignored my calls," Cas answered. "What I want to know is why."

"Why?" Gabe repeated.

"Yes," Cas said exasperatedly. "We were on excellent terms before the Merge, but when it was over you shouted at me and have been dodging my calls," Cas explained.

Gabriel waited, seeing if he would continue. When it became evident he wouldn't, Gabriel arched his eyebrows incredulously. "Really? Are you seriously clueless enough that I need to spell it out for you?" he asked.

Castiel furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

Gabriel began laughing, though there was no amusement in the sound. "God, you really are dense. I thought it would have been obvious. You stole it, Castiel," he said. "It was supposed to be my night, and you stole it. I had stressed about it all day, hoping to God I made a good impression. Obviously I didn't with his dad, but his mom seemed to like me at least. Things were going okay, and then you…met Dean and suddenly everything was about you! We were able to claim everyone's attention long enough to tell our story, but then it was right back to being all about Cas and Dean and the miracle. Sam's mom obviously likes you more than she does me, and don't pretend she doesn't!" Gabriel's voice had slowly been rising as he spoke and he was almost shouting at this point. "And you can look at me and call me a petulant child for acting this way, but I needed it, Cas! I needed the affirmation that the Merge was supposed to bring me, and you stole it!" Gabe reached the end of his tirade and took a deep breath. "You stole it," he said at a lower decibel. With those last words he slammed the door in Cas's face.

Cas just stood there, shock and horror on his face. It really was painfully obvious when he thought about it. But how could Gabriel fault him when he had absolutely no control over it? He walked shakily back to his car and drove home, angry at Gabriel and himself.

When he got home Cas threw himself on his bed. Gabriel was so infuriating! He had to know that Cas couldn't help it. No one could control when they met their Soulmate. If they could, Cas would have met his long before now.

He looked at his alarm clock. It was almost 1:30. He had time for a much needed nap and still have plenty of time to get ready for his date with Dean. Cas felt his stomach tighten. He had a date. With his Soulmate. Tonight. And he wasn't going to let Gabe's attitude ruin his own. He set his alarm for 4:00 and curled up on the bed and started counting sheep, shutting his mind off and letting the exhaustion from dealing with work and Gabriel wash over him. He was out before he had reached 50 sheep.

Cas was startled awake, not by his alarm clock, but by his text tone. Groaning, he sat up and fished his cell out of his pocket. It was a message from Dean. _I'm headed out in fifteen or so minutes._ Castiel furrowed his eyebrows and looked up at his alarm clock. He jumped out of bed too fast and ended up whacking his knee on his bedside table. How had he managed to sleep that long?! It was 6:30 already! Why didn't his alarm go off? He checked to make sure he had set it, and he had. For 4:00 in the morning.

He groaned again and rushed to get ready. He still smelled like the diner, so a shower was a must. For some reason, because he was in such a hurry probably, things didn't run smoothly. While he was washing his hair, shampoo dripped into his eyes, causing him to swear. He rinsed off and rushed to get out of the shower, slipping as he did so and falling like an elderly lady on those life alert commercials. More swear words escaped his mouth and he stood up slowly, rubbing his hip where there had been impact. After he was dried off, he put on deodorant and clean, non-work clothes and tried his best to tame his hair. His cowlick, which usually behaved, had picked today of all days to be difficult. Once he put it in some semblance of order, he began furiously brushing his teeth.

As he was rinsing his toothbrush, Cas heard a rumbly car engine that was strangely familiar already, even though he had only heard it once. Taking a deep breath, Cas looked in the mirror to make sure he looked alright. There was a knock at the door.

Cas rushed to the door, his heart pounding in his chest. In his hurry, he ran into the potted plant in the entryway, effectively banging his hip again, where a bruise was already forming and knocking the pot to the floor, where it shattered loudly. Cas stared at it mortified. He was within an arm's length of the door, so he knew Dean had been able to hear that. He considered going and curling up in his closet or somewhere he would never be found.

There was another, slightly more hesitant knock on the door, and Cas took a deep breath, resigning himself to the embarrassment of opening the door.

Dean stood there, looking fantastic, yet casual. Cas was suddenly glad he hadn't had time to overthink his outfit. Dean shifted his weight and caught sight of the de-potted plant in the entryway, and he smiled. "Damn, what could that poor plant have done to deserve that?" he asked jokingly.

Castiel could feel his face going red. _Shit, stop blushing!_ he told himself. "It was an accident," he said.

Dean laughed. "Yeah, I figured." They stood there, neither knowing what to say next. Finally Cas cleared his throat. "Shall we go?" he asked hesitantly.

"Yeah," Dean said, snapping back to attention. He gestured for Cas to proceed him to the car. Castiel gasped when he saw the beautiful vehicle in front of him. He had seen it before, but he was really paying attention to it now, which made it feel like he was seeing it for the first time. Cas wasn't a car geek per say, but this car was a masterpiece.

Dean noticed Cas's gaze. "Impressive, right?" he asked jokingly, opening the passenger side door for Cas. "'67 Chevy Impala. Rebuilt her from the ground up several times over."

Castiel was impressed. He slid into the passenger seat and began admiring the interior of the beautiful machine.

Dean slid into the driver's seat and pulled away from the curb. "Do you care where we go?" he asked as they turned onto main street.

"Not really," Cas answered. "Just as long as it's not Angel's Landing."

Dean glanced at him before turning his attention back to the road. "You got something against angels?" he joked.

Cas laughed. "No. Not that I believe in them in any case, but I work there and its appeal is lost on me."

Dean smiled. "Okay, not a problem. There are plenty of other places to choose from…angel," he said, breaking into laughter on the last word.

Castiel rolled his eyes, but smiled.

Dean decided to take them to The Roadhouse Bar and Grill. "I'm sorry it's not anywhere fancy or anything," he apologized. "But I just thought it would be cool to get to know each other in a more casual setting." He shrugged.

"That's fine with me," Cas said. "I think it's perfect," he assured him.

Dean grinned.

They chose a table toward the back, not far from the pool table. Cas saw Dean eyeing it as they waited for their server. "Do you play?" he asked curiously.

Dean turned to him. "Not much. Me and Sammy used to play a bit, but big bad law students don't have time for pool." He shook his head, but Cas could see the quite pride in his eyes as he subliminally bragged about his brother.

Just as Cas was going to say something, their server approached the table. She was a slight girl with very light hair, which was pulled back into a ponytail. Her nametag said Jo. Dean smiled as she approached. "Hey Jo!"

Jo smiled. "You haven't been around for a while, Dean," she mocked. "I had to get secondhand info from Sam that you met your Soulmate." Here she paused and winked at Castiel. "Wouldn't you think that would be something you should tell your supposed best friend yourself?"

Dean smiled sheepishly. "It's been really busy, Jo. My bad," he said.

"Your bad is right!" She punched him in the shoulder. "Now, what can I get you to drink?" she asked, getting down to business.

Dean looked at Cas. "Two beers?" he turned it into a question, not sure if Cas was a drinker or not.

Cas shifted uncomfortably. "Just water for me will be fine," he said to Jo.

She left to get their drinks and Dean leaned a little closer to Cas across the table. "I respect the fact that you don't drink," he said matter-of-factly. "But I think it only fair to warn you that I drink like a fish."

Cas laughed. "It's not that I'm a prude or anything. I'm just not 21 yet. Breaking the law isn't that high up on my list of things to accomplish for today," he joked.

Dean sat back. "Really? I had you pegged for older than that. Man, I had no idea I was robbing the cradle," he said with a wink. God, he was gorgeous.

Cas blushed. "It's only a six year difference," he said defensively. "And I'll be 21 in a couple of weeks anyway."

Dean laughed. "We are going to get you totally trashed for your 21st," he said. "It's something you have to experience, even just once."

Cas joined Dean's laughter. "Sounds like a plan," he said.

Jo came back with their drinks and pulled out her notebook to take their orders.

"The usual for me, Jo," Dean said.

Castiel felt stupid. He had been too busy ogling Dean to even look at the menu. In an effort to save face he cleared his throat and said, "I'll have the same."

Jo smiled and went to go put their orders in.

"You just blindly trust that I have good taste in food?" Dean asked curiously.

Cas looked down embarrassed. "I forgot to look at the menu," he said.

Dean laughed. "Well, I hope you like bacon cheeseburgers with a shit ton of fries."

Cas grinned. "A personal favorite of mine," he said.

"So, when is the big 2-1 anyway?" asked Dean conversationally.

"August 20," replied Cas. "The weekend before classes start."

Dean looked at him, impressed. "A college boy, huh? That's impressive. What are you studying?" he asked.

Cas rubbed his neck, self-conscious. "Well, I've just been doing my generals the last two years, so I haven't even begun work on my major till this year," he said evasively.

"Which is?" Dean pressed.

Cas had never told anybody what he wanted to major in except Gabriel. He was afraid that everyone would think it was a stupid major, when there was no guaranteed line of work after graduation. His only hope was publishing his novel, and even that was a long shot.

"Hey, it can't be that bad," Dean joked. "I mean, look at me. I have no college education whatsoever, so whatever it is, it's gotta be better than me."

Cas sighed. "Yeah, it's just an obscure major that has no real career options. It's just something I don't talk about," he admitted.

Dean tilted his head. "Well, if you don't want to tell me, you don't have to," he said. "But I would never dream of making fun of you over your life choices. I mean, I barely managed to graduate high school, and I work at my Uncle Bobby's mechanic shop. It's not really glamorous, you know."

Cas smiled softly. Something about Dean just put him at ease. It was probably the fact that Dean was his other half. "I'm majoring in Creative Writing," Cas said in a rush.

Dean eyes widened slightly. "You're a writer, huh? That's hot," he said.

Cas laughed. "Well, I'm _tring_ to be a writer at least. I guess we'll see how that goes," he said.

Their food arrived at that moment, Jo bringing another beer out for Dean. They made some more small talk as they ate.

When they were just finishing up and waiting for the check, Dean turned the subject to something a little less light-hearted. "So," he said, scooping up some ketchup with the last of his fries. "I bet you never thought your Soulmate would be a guy."

Cas thought about it for a second before responding. "I never really thought about it that much to be honest," he said. "I was always more captivated by the idea of color. I always knew it was a possibility though. I mean, you can never assume with these things," he shrugged.

"I talked about it with Sam one time," Dean said, taking another swig of his beer. "He always thought that whatever gender your Soulmate was corresponded with your sexual orientation. That's why Sam always said he knew his Soulmate would be a guy. Our dad was kind of angry about it. I guess he didn't like the thought of having a gay son. I was a little less aware of it than Sam, but you gotta come out of the closet sometime, I guess," he finished.

Cas digested this new information thoughtfully. "It may sound weird, but I've never really thought about if I was gay or straight. I just always knew that whenever I found my Soulmate, regardless of gender, they would be the one," he finished with a shrug and blushed.

Dean smiled shyly. Jo brought the check by and both men pulled their wallets out. "No way, Castiel," Dean said forcefully. "I'm paying and you can just deal with it." He handed Jo some cash, instructing her to keep the change, and he stood up.

The drive back to Cas's apartment passed quickly in comfortable silence. Dean coasted the Impala up to the curb in front of Cas's apartment and cut the engine.

"Well," Castiel said, breaking the silence. "Thank you for a great evening, Dean." He wanted to hit himself. He sounded so pretentious.

Dean just laughed. "Mind if I walk you to the door?" he asked.

"Not at all," Cas replied.

They walked up the walk to Cas's door. Cas turned to Dean and shuffled his feet, unsure of how to part ways without being awkward.

"I guess…I'll call you tomorrow," Dean said.

"Sounds good to me," said Cas.

Dean looked conflicted, shifting back and forth from foot to foot.

Not knowing what else to say, Castiel turned to go inside, when he felt a warm hand on his arm. He turned around and Dean's face was close to his, a question in his eyes. He didn't want to overstep and scare Cas away.

Shyly, Cas leaned in and pressed his lips to Dean's. The kiss was slow and sweet; everything Cas had hoped a first kiss to be.

Dean pulled away after a few seconds and smiled. "I'll call you tomorrow, angel," he said softly before turning and walking back to his car.

Cas went inside happily, a smile – and Dean's kiss – on his lips.


	6. Chapter 6

AN/ Sorry for that long hiatus. Finals are next week and I've been extremely busy. Please accept this mediocre update as an apology, and hopefully the next update is a bit better

-N.Z.

Castiel and Gabriel eventually made a tentative amends two weeks after Gabe's blowup when Michael called them both telling them that Danielle had gone into labor. Welcoming a new life into their family proved to be a good prelude to forgiveness for the two brothers.

The new baby – Harmony – already had her uncles – the whole family really – wrapped around her fingers, the way most newborn babies tend to, and it was impossible to stay angry while in her presence.

A couple of weeks after Harmony's birth, Castiel's mother called him to inform him that he would be subject to family portraits, telling him to invite Dean as well – as he and Sam were official members of the family as far as she was concerned.

"You don't have to go if you don't want to," Castiel insisted, tapping away at his laptop after telling Dean about his mother's plans. "My mom won't be offended if you don't," he assured. It was a rare day when neither of them had to work, and they had the whole day to laze about. Cas, having received a fountain of inspiration, was working on Dark World, while Dean was playing Angry Birds on his phone, not wanting to interrupt Castiel's work.

Dean chuckled from where he sat on Cas's bed. "Why does it sound like you don't want me to go?" he asked jokingly.

Cas looked up. "I do want you to go," he admitted, "but I don't want you to do anything you don't want to do, either," he finished, shrugging and went back to writing.

Dean put his phone down and slid off the bed before walking around behind the desk and running his hands down Cas's arms, burying his face in the younger man's unruly dark hair. "Cas," he said, his thumbs rubbing circles into Castiel's arms, "I would love to participate in this absolutely dorky display of family affection."

Cas giggled and leaned back into Dean's chest, the latter's arms encircling him.

Turning around slightly, Cas pecked Dean's lips. "Well, okay then," he said happily, before Dean captured his lips in much more enthusiastic kiss, Cas's writing completely forgotten.

Getting the family portraits done the next day was an all-day event, and Anita Novak spared no expense. Mrs. Novak had a flair for the dramatic, and she insisted that all of her children get portraits with their respective Soulmates after the main group pictures were taken.

The photographer let each couple choose their own pose, and each couple spent about five minutes on the studio floor.

When it was finally their turn, Cas and Dean entered the studio, still unsure about what they wanted to do. As a stroke of luck, the photographer had to make a few adjustments to the camera, giving them a minute to think about it. They got into position in front of the camera and tried a few different poses, but nothing felt right – either too forced or too serious.

Cas sighed. "I can't think of anything," he said.

Dean laughed and grabbed Cas's hands with his own, intertwining their fingers, pulled the latter against him, and kissed him softly. When they finally broke the kiss, Cas sighed happily and tried to pull back, but Dean brought him back, their foreheads resting together. Cas met his eyes and was surprised at the amount of light and love in them. Dean was smiling softly, and Cas gave a shy smile back in response. He didn't think he'd ever get tired of looking at Deans' eyes.

A flash went off and the spell shattered, Cas and Dean blinking rapidly in response.

"I'm so sorry!" called the photographer. "I was just testing the white balance ratio of the camera. If you're ready with your pose we're ready to go on this end," he said.

For lack of anything better to do, they posed with Dean behind Cas, resting his chin on the younger man's shoulder. It was a cute concept, but Cas still felt like it was too forced. The photographer took a couple of shots then invited them to come choose the one they liked best. Cas sighed and told Dean to pick whatever one he wanted. While Dean decided, Cas joined the rest of his family in the lobby.

A few minutes later Dean and the photographer came out. Dean went straight to Cas and reached for his hand. Cas smiled and slid his hand into Dean's waiting palm.

"Thank you for coming in," the photographer smiled. "The photos will be ready for pickup in about a week," he finished.

Anita thanked him and they all separated to spend the remainder of their Sunday in whatever way they deemed best.

Cas clambered into the passenger seat of the Impala, glad that the ordeal was behind him.

Dean slid into the driver's seat and pulled out of the parking lot.

Cas rolled down his window and closed his eyes, letting the heat of the August evening envelop him as they drove back to his apartment.

When they were about halfway there, Dean spoke up. "What's the date today?" he asked, breaking the silence.

"The fifteenth," Cas replied without opening his eyes.

"So… you're birthday's on Friday, right?" Dean asked.

Cas opened his eyes and looked at Dean, amused. "Yeah, it is. I'm surprised you remember. I only told you when it was that one time."

Dean scoffed. "I remember everything you tell me, angel," he said. "But in any case, I believe that means we have a date this weekend," he said excitedly.

A vague memory of discussing his birthday surfaced and Cas groaned. "Are you seriously going to get me drunk?" he asked.

"Of course I am," Dean chuckled. "It's part of the human experience."

"What's the other part?" Cas asked. "Being hung over and miserable?"

Dean nodded sagely. "I'm afraid so."

Cas rolled his eyes at Dean and turned away, though he couldn't keep a smile from coming to his face.

It was dark by the time they got back to Cas's apartment.

Cas changed into his standard sleepwear – sweats and a t-shirt – while Dean took a shower.

They'd been dating for about five weeks now and Dean had been sleeping there for almost three weeks. Some people might think that was way too soon, but, honestly, nothing had felt more right to Cas.

Though they'd been sleeping in the same bed for three weeks, they had yet to actually sleep with each other. Not that they didn't talk about it or have some seriously heavy make out sessions, because they did. They just never took the next step and neither of them really knew why.

Dean coming out of the bathroom interrupted Cas's train of thought. The former stretched his arms above his head, yawned, and climbed into the bed beside Castiel.

Cas leaned over and kissed Dean softly before propping himself up on his elbow. Castiel would never admit it to anyone, but he and Dean had become one of those stereotypical Soulmate couples that just loved staring at each other. But Cas couldn't help it. Dean just had the most amazing eyes he had ever seen, and he never tired of looking at them.

Eventually, Cas's eyes started drooping in exhaustion. Dean chuckled and kissed his forehead. "Go to sleep, angel," he said softly. Cas obeyed almost instantly.

Dean smiled as he watched Cas fall asleep. He had sure lucked out when it came to his Soulmate. He may not have been expecting a guy, but he knew that sweet, brave, selfless Castiel was definitely the one. He loved Cas. He would one day marry Cas. They may adopt some children. Who knew? And then they would grow old together. It was strange. Dean had never thought he wanted any of that, but now that he was here, he wouldn't settle for anything less. He smiled softly and fell into a contented sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

The next morning Castiel woke up way earlier than he meant to. He sighed and rolled over, meaning to cuddle up next to Dean until he could fall back asleep. When he rolled over, however, Dean was noticeably absent from his side of the bed. Confused, Cas sat up and looked groggily around the room. Dean was nowhere in sight.

After untangling the mess of sheets from around his legs, Cas climbed out of bed and went looking for Dean. The bathroom and kitchen were both notably empty. The more he looked for Dean, the more confused Cas became. 'Maybe he went out,' Cas thought. But when he looked out the front window, the Impala hadn't moved from its spot in the driveway.

Trying to keep himself from freaking out too much, Cas pulled his phone out and sent Dean a quick text: _Where are you?_

Walking back to the bedroom from the front door, Cas noticed a faint light coming from under the hall closet door that he hadn't noticed before. He opened the door slowly and was surprised to find Dean sitting indian-style in the closet with Castiel's laptop in his lap, seeming to be completely enraptured with whatever was on the screen, scrolling down every so often.

Cas watched him for a second before clearing his throat. Dean jumped and looked up guiltily. "Hey, Cas," he said sheepishly. "I hope you don't mind I borrowed your laptop."

Cas furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "Don't you have your own laptop, Dean?" he asked curiously.

Dean sighed. "Yeah." He scratched his head before continuing. "I woke up really early and couldn't get back to sleep, and I just wanted to read what you have been working on." Dean looked down embarrassed. "I know that I'm totally out of line here and that's a huge invasion of privacy, and I'm sorry," he finished in a rush.

Cas couldn't help chuckling a little bit, even though he was hugely embarrassed that Dean had been reading a _very_ unedited version of Dark World. "I'm not mad, Dean," he said as he sat down on the hardwood floor just outside the closet. "Just kind of mortified that you're reading that. I haven't gotten around to editing yet," he said.

Dean raised his eyebrows. "Why are you embarrassed? This is seriously good, Cas," he said.

Cas blushed and hoped furiously that Dean couldn't see it. They sat in silence for a little longer, neither really knowing what to say.

After what seemed like an eternity, Dean spoke up. "Can I ask a question about the story?" he asked tentatively.

Cas blinked at the broken silence. "Sure, I guess so."

"When will Kellen find his Soulmate?" asked Dean, referring to the main protagonist of Dark World.

Cas shrugged and scratched his nose absentmindedly. "He doesn't," he said matter-of-factly.

Dean eyebrows almost touched his hairline in incredulity. "Really? Why not? That's terrible," he said seriously.

Cas was taken aback by Dean's interest in Kellen's love life. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"Well," Dean said. "this whole time, Kellen's been looking for his Soulmate and y'know, the reader is in it with him, and they feel everything Kellen does, and it's like they're looking themselves. It's really engaging, which I guess is the point. But now you're telling me that he _never_ finds the one? Why? Nobody deserves to be unhappy, Cas."

Cas shrugged again. "I think that's the point, Dean," he said. "Nobody deserves to be unhappy, but not everybody can get what they want. It's a metaphor I guess; for how much life sucks." Discussing this was interesting to Cas. He had thought about his reasons for writing Dark World the way he had, but voicing them was an entirely different matter.

"Exactly!" Dean exclaimed, starling Cas. "Life does suck. So don't you think fiction should reflect the ideal of what the world should be, rather than what it is? I mean, isn't the point of books and stories to give people hope and provide an escape?"

Cas was extremely surprised. He knew Dean was bright, but hadn't expected to find himself in a conversation like this with the him.

"True," Cas admitted. "But realism is an important aspect of literature as well, and reflecting the true nature of the world is what makes stories truly great if you ask me." Cas thought for a moment before continuing. "Take Jane Eyre for example. Bronte didn't sugar coat what the world was like back then, and that novel lives as one of the greatest classics of all time."

"Yeah, but at least Jane and Rochester were together at the end and had their own happy ending," Dean countered.

Cas was shocked. "You've read Jane Eyre?" he asked, amazed. Dean really didn't strike him as much of an avid reader.

Dean snorted. "It was required reading for my high school English class," he said flippantly. "That's not really the point though. The point is that even in the "one of the greatest classics of all time", as you so poetically put it, there is a happy ending."

Cas sighed. "That doesn't really invalidate my previous statement though, Dean. I could point you to countless books that depict the cruelties of the world realistically. That was just the first that came to mind."

Dean shrugged slightly. "I just think everybody deserves a happy ending," he finished nonchalantly.

Cas sighed exasperatedly and stood up. "I'll keep that in mind," he said.

Dean smiled softly and closed Cas's laptop before getting to his feet. "Looks like I'm coming out of the closet," he joked as he joined the younger man in the hallway.

Cas groaned at Dean's bad joke and poked him in the side. "It's way too early, and I'm going back to bed," he stated before turning and walking back to the bedroom.

Dean chuckled slightly and may or may not have checked out Cas's ass before following after his boyfriend without another word.

That week passed quickly, the way Summer weeks tend to, and before they knew it, Friday morning was upon them.

Cas woke up that morning to Dean kissing and nipping at his neck. "Mmm,"Cas sighed and slid closer to Dean.

"Happy birthday, angel," Dean laughed against his neck. "How does it feel to be 21?" he asked.

"Not much different really, except for the wake-up call," Cas laughed. "Not that I'm complaining," he joked, before meeting Dean's lips in a lingering kiss.

Dean tried keeping the kiss slow and sweet, but Cas was having none of that, deepening the kiss and twining their tongues together. Dean moaned and wrapped his arms tightly around Cas's waist, pulling him closer.

Cas shifted his hips so that he was on top of Dean without breaking the kiss. Dean moaned again, and his hands slipped under Cas's t-shirt, running up and down his back possessively. Cas carded his fingers through Dean's hair and shifted his hips again, trying to get comfortable. Dean gasped suddenly. "Fuck, Cas!" he groaned.

Cas pulled back, confused, before he realized that his hip had brushed Dean's morning wood. The former stilled, not sure what to do now. He and Dean still hadn't come to any decision about sex, and he was just now noticing what an awkward situation he had put them in.

Dean cleared his throat. "As much as I'd like to continue, babe," he said breathlessly, "I have to work this morning."

Cas clambered off of Dean, embarrassed. Dean chuckled nervously before climbing out of bed and making his way shakily to the bathroom.

Cas could feel how red his face was, and he buried himself under the bed sheets, vowing to never come out again.

A little while later Dean came out of the bathroom and got dressed in his work clothes before pulling the sheets down to expose Cas's face. He was smiling, so Cas was able to relax a little.

"We still on for tonight?" Dean asked enthusiastically.

Cas smiled softly. "Yep," he said. "I made sure I had tomorrow off of work for the sole purpose of recovery," he joked.

"Good," Dean smirked. He pecked Cas on the lips before standing up straight. "See you tonight," he said, before he was gone.

Cas waited until he heard the Impala's engine fade away before he got out of bed. Making out with Dean had sent a rush of blood to his groin, and he was in desperate need of a cold shower. As he got into the shower he couldn't help wondering what that night would be like.


End file.
